15 Apr 2014, 17:08
The University of Edinburgh’s Dr Thomas Pierret comes before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade tomorrow to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria.
15 April 2014
Dr Pierret is Lecturer in Contemporary Islam at Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the prestigious Scottish university.
Chairman of the Committee Pat Breen TD says: “The Committee has been following the ongoing hostilities in the Syria with and has in the past expressed grave concern at the lack of humanitarian assistance given to refugees in the camps. In recent weeks, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned both sides in the conflict for blocking humanitarian aid for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Syrians living in volatile areas. The shocking and disturbing photographs of torture by Syrian State forces are being considered by the UN Security Council today.
“Dr Thomas Pierret is an expert on modern Syria, having completed his PhD research on the Syrian Sunni Ulama, This allowed him to explore various aspects of the politics and sociology of modern Islam, including religious authorities, Islamic activism, state policies in the realm of religion, education, and the media. Over the last two years, he has been an authoritative voice on the Syrian conflict. We look forward to engaging with Dr Pierret tomorrow on how best the international community can contribute to a resolution of this appalling crisis.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 16 April at 2:30 pm in Committee Room 1, LH 2000. It can be viewed live on Oireachtas UPC Channel 207 and online here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
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Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade
Deputies:
Pat Breen, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, Labour
Bernard Durkan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael
Gerald Nash, Labour
Dan Neville, Fine Gael
Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil
Maureen O’Sullivan, Independent
Senators:
Deirdre Clune, Fine Gael
Mark Daly, Fianna Fáil
Lorraine Higgins, Labour
Michael Mullins, Fine Gael
David Norris, Independent
Jim Walsh, Fianna Fáil